DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0130
102
RUINS OF AZANI.
[Chap. vii.
CHAPTER VII.
Ruins of Azani—Road to Ghiediz—Basaltic Rocks—Position of Cadi—Cross the
Hermus—Road to Usliak—Turkey Carpets.
Saturday, April 2.—This day was spent in visiting the
ruins, copying inscriptions, and collecting coins from the pea-
sants ; of these the majority were Byzantine, but I obtained
several belonging to the Imperial series, as well as some
autonomous, the legend being either AHMOC, IEPA
BOYAH, or IEPACTNKAHTOC AIZANEIT.QN, or
AIZANITflN. One beautiful and rare small brass coin
represented a head of Jupiter Serapis; on the reverse was
an eagle with its wings half extended, with the word
AIZANEITflN. The Imperial coins were of Augustus,
Faustina, Claudius, Domitian, Caius, and Gallienus. I
should observe, however, that I did not procure all these at
Tchavdour Hissar itself, but at different places in the sur-
rotmding country.
Close to our cottage we found the substructions of an
extensive building of huge blocks put together without
cement, which was perhaps a gymnasium. It appeared to
stand upon a rising ground, but this may have been only
the effect of the fallen ruins, which had so buried the
foundations, that without much excavation it would be im-
possible to make a plan of them. The two Roman bridges
over the river form the only means of communication
between the two banks.
It is a remarkable circumstance that no traces of walls
can be seen any where round the town; and from the man-
ner in which the ruins are preserved, it probably never
had any. The theatre is situated nearly half a mile from
the temple, on the slope of a hill facing south by west. The
cavea is remarkably well preserved; the scena and proscc-
RUINS OF AZANI.
[Chap. vii.
CHAPTER VII.
Ruins of Azani—Road to Ghiediz—Basaltic Rocks—Position of Cadi—Cross the
Hermus—Road to Usliak—Turkey Carpets.
Saturday, April 2.—This day was spent in visiting the
ruins, copying inscriptions, and collecting coins from the pea-
sants ; of these the majority were Byzantine, but I obtained
several belonging to the Imperial series, as well as some
autonomous, the legend being either AHMOC, IEPA
BOYAH, or IEPACTNKAHTOC AIZANEIT.QN, or
AIZANITflN. One beautiful and rare small brass coin
represented a head of Jupiter Serapis; on the reverse was
an eagle with its wings half extended, with the word
AIZANEITflN. The Imperial coins were of Augustus,
Faustina, Claudius, Domitian, Caius, and Gallienus. I
should observe, however, that I did not procure all these at
Tchavdour Hissar itself, but at different places in the sur-
rotmding country.
Close to our cottage we found the substructions of an
extensive building of huge blocks put together without
cement, which was perhaps a gymnasium. It appeared to
stand upon a rising ground, but this may have been only
the effect of the fallen ruins, which had so buried the
foundations, that without much excavation it would be im-
possible to make a plan of them. The two Roman bridges
over the river form the only means of communication
between the two banks.
It is a remarkable circumstance that no traces of walls
can be seen any where round the town; and from the man-
ner in which the ruins are preserved, it probably never
had any. The theatre is situated nearly half a mile from
the temple, on the slope of a hill facing south by west. The
cavea is remarkably well preserved; the scena and proscc-